Black pud 'drug' mix up

ANDREW Holt, of RS Irelands Black Puddings in Waterfoot, near Rossendale, sparked a major drug scare when he tried to pass through an X-ray with six packets containing three kilos of herbs and spices - which make up the top-secret recipe for his renowned black puddings.

WHEN Andrew Holt arrived at an airport with six packets full of `herbs' he was quickly asked to explain himself to customs officers.

Mr Holt, owner of RS Irelands Black Puddings in Waterfoot, was on his way back from Vienna after taking part in an international food show.

But he sparked a major drug scare when he tried to pass through an X-ray with six packets containing three kilos of herbs and spices - which make up the top-secret recipe for his renowned black puddings.

Mr Holt, 42, and his 14-year-old son Brett were invited to help champion black pudding maker Franz Dormayer at the Viennese Exhibition of Culinary Art in the Austrian capital.

"On the way to Vienna I had sent the herbs and spices ahead with a note in case they were opened by customs, but they arrived with no problem," said Mr Holt, who uses a secret recipe dating back to 1879.

Expensive

"After making the puddings I had quite a lot of herbs and spices left and as they're quite expensive I packaged them tightly to bring home.

"Looking back, apparently because the spices are brown they looked like hashish and the herbs looked like cannabis `skunk'. I was a bit naïve."

Mr Holt and Brett were guided to a side room and questioned, but there was a problem

"They didn't know what black puddings were," said Mr Holt.

"It translates as `blood sausage' and they had no idea what we were doing. It was quite frightening.

"Luckily we had a lot of literature about what we do and Brett was able to show them camera footage of us making the puddings.

"They sniffed the herbs and agreed some smelled like peppermint. They had a chat amongst themselves and let us go just in time to catch our plane."